How to type the degree symbol on Windows
To type the degree symbol on Windows, hold Alt, type 0176 on the numeric keypad and let go: ° appears. The shorter Alt + 248 gives the same character. No keypad? Use the emoji panel (Win + .) or type 00B0 then Alt + X in Word.
Quick answer
Hold Alt, type 0176 on the number pad, release Alt → °
Step by step
Turn on Num Lock
Press Num Lock so the keypad types digits. Most keyboards show a small light when it is on.
Put the cursor in place
Click exactly where the sign belongs, for example straight after “25” in a temperature.
Hold Alt and type 0176
Keep the left Alt key held down and press 0, 1, 7 and 6 on the numeric keypad, not on the number row above the letters.
Let go of Alt
The degree sign appears the moment you release Alt. Add C or F after it for a temperature.
Alt + 0176 or Alt + 248: which one?
Both codes insert the same character, U+00B0. The version with a leading zero reads from the Windows-1252 table that Windows uses for Western languages. The three-digit Alt + 248 comes from code page 437, the character set of the original IBM PC, which Windows still honours for backwards compatibility.
In current apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, Notepad, Chrome, Edge) you can use either. If you work in an old console program that treats the two differently, stick with 0176.
Typing ° on a laptop without a number pad
Alt codes only listen to the numeric keypad. Pressing 0-1-7-6 on the row above the letters does nothing, which is the most common reason people think the code is broken. You have four alternatives:
- Embedded keypad: some laptops print keypad digits on the U, I, O, J, K and L keys. Turn it on with Fn + NumLk (or Fn + Scroll Lock) and the alt code works.
- Emoji panel: press Win + ., open the Symbols tab (Ω) and scroll to °.
- Word and Outlook: type 00B0 and press Alt + X. Our degree symbol in Word guide covers the other Office routes.
- Character Map: search for “degree” in the Windows Character Map and copy it.
Writing °C and °F correctly
Type the degree sign and then a capital C or F. Scientific style puts a space before the pair (25 °C), newspapers often close it up (25°C); pick one and stay consistent. Avoid the single character ℃, which exists only for East Asian fonts. Also watch for Alt + 0186: it types º, the Spanish ordinal indicator, which looks almost identical but is a letter.
When the alt code does nothing
Check that Num Lock is on and that you are holding the left Alt key; on many European layouts the right one is AltGr. Remote desktop sessions and virtual machines sometimes swallow Alt codes, so type them on the machine itself. Our alt codes troubleshooting guide walks through the rarer causes, and the full alt code chart lists every other code.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Alt + 0176 type nothing on my laptop?
Alt codes need the numeric keypad; the number row above the letters sends different key codes. Turn on the embedded keypad with Fn + NumLk if your laptop has one, or pick ° from the emoji panel (Win + .).
Is Alt + 248 the same degree sign as Alt + 0176?
Yes. Alt + 248 uses the old code page 437 and Alt + 0176 uses Windows-1252, but both insert U+00B0 in modern Windows apps.
How do I type °C on Windows?
Type the degree sign with Alt + 0176, then a capital C. Most scientific style guides add a space before it: 25 °C.